The 14,500-kilometre-long (9,000 miles) Highway 1 is the world’s longest national highway. If you drove 10 hours a day, averaging 100 kilometres per hour, it would take at least two weeks to circumnavigate Australia.

Issued as Australian legal tender, the most valuable coin in the world is a $1 million coin made by Perth Mint, which weights one tonne and is 99.99% pure gold. It is actually worth almost $52 million ($40.8 million USD).

The last 24 members of a species of giant stick insect were found under a bush on Ball’s Pyramid off Lord Howe Island in 2001, 80 years after the last sighting.

Bushranger Moondyne Joe escaped jail so many times the government built a special cell to hold him. The governor said: “If you get out again, I’ll forgive you.” He escaped, and was released when captured.